Please discuss ways that increased efficiencies and cost savings can be achieved within the Harris County Treasurer’s office.

Education/DegreesMLA, BA / Political Science, University of St. Thomas.

Professional ExperienceCurrently, a freelance GIS analyst and graphic designer. I was a manger of the Harris County voter registration department for almost 5 years. Customer support and satisfaction supervisor for Apple. Adjunct prof. of government at Lone Star CyFair.

I would like to dedicate time to go out into the community and listen to the concerns of the people. I believe the Office of the Treasurer can be used to elevate the voices in our underserved communities and to help find resolutions to problems that have been ignored or not seen as a priority. Once I have an understanding of what the community expects of county government I will work with Commissioners Court to help implement the people’s agenda.

I believe it’s important to invest in our community; not just in terms of infrastructure, but in the people that we serve. Any un-appropriated funds should be allocated to community development projects like parks, education programs, low-cost housing, and health care to name a few. As we focus on making Harris County a strong and diverse place to live – it’s important that we do not neglect our most important asset – the people.

First, we can increase efficiencies and cost savings by creating a more user friendly customer portal, to handle payments to the Harris County Treasurer’s office. Second, we can make it easier to digitally request and receive financial documents, or other materials, (that are subject to the Texas Public Information Act) electronically. Finally, where appropriate, we may be able to shift certain responsibilities to the County Auditor’s office to achieve further efficiencies and cost savings.

Education/DegreesB.S- Social Sciences
Masters of Public Administration (MPA)

Professional ExperienceI have 8 years of local government experience at the City of Houston. I currently work in Planning & Development, but I have previously worked in the Finance Department and I staffed two City Council members- Sue Lovell and Richard Nguyen.

Community InvolvementI am a co-founder and current president of the University of Houston MPA Alumni Association. I am also an active member of Houston Millennials- a group dedicated to promoting civic engagement.

I want to make this office more community focused by adding an educational component. I would like to host workshops like financial literacy for young people, but the actual content depends on community input and needs, and will be taught by subject matter experts that my office will partner with. I also hope to expand the role of Treasurer into more of a budget watchdog and communicate to Harris County residents what their money is buying. Currently the Treasurer is a small office that does very little outside of balancing several accounts and issuing checks on behalf of the county. I want residents to get their money's worth and receive value from the position they already pay for.

The county must save money for a rainy day, and any un-appropriated funds should be saved. However, county residents have a diverse and growing list of needs, and county leadership must work to meet those needs. Once those needs are met, any leftover funds should be placed into interest bearing accounts that are safe and secure. The county cannot afford to make risky investments to try to make a quick buck.

The Treasurer's office is a relatively small office of about 1 dozen employees and an annual budget of approximately $1.2 million. While that may sound like a lot of money, the office budget pales in comparison to larger offices such as County or District Clerk. With that budget and employee count, clearly the largest expense in the office is labor. I will make every effort to improve service and promote efficiency with technology. However, anyone that promises to drastically cut the Treasurer's budget is not being realistic.

Find Your Races?

To make a selection for a candidate you must first find your races. Would you like to find your races now?